A Return From the Planet
by stanblade418
Summary: *Spoiler alert* Those who know what happened to Aerith, or are curious to find out, read on to discover the story from a different point of view
1. Prologue

A Return From the Planet  
  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is owned by Squaresoft, as are the characters contained within the game, so, enjoy the fiction, and remember, it's all in good fun.  
  
Author's Note: The idea for this story came from reading other fanfics about the topic, I came to realize the version that I had come up with after the end of the game, was a little different than anything I have read yet. Please R & R and inside the review, tell me whether you think that it could have happened this way or not.  
  
Prologue  
  
In the Forgotten City, kneeling at the altar in the center of the city, is a woman, a beautiful woman clad in soft pink garments. She kneels with her eyes closed, praying to the planet, knowing her destiny and fate, but praying just the same, fear does not cross her as she knows the one she loves will soon be at her side, she wishes it did not have to happen this way, but she understands that her spirit must reach the planet, that she must return to the planet, for her wish to be heard. "Let me take care of Sephiroth" She remembers saying to Cloud as she wandered away, she knew he wanted to be with her, but also knew that she couldn't have him there. The planet told her it was time, as Cloud and the rest of their friends entered the crystal city through the passage above.  
  
"Aerith!!" Cloud yells as he descends the stairway followed by his friends, still deep in prayer she kneels still, not wanting to ruin the prayer and her one shot at saving the world. Cloud hops the stepping stones and takes his steps towards her. A smile crosses her face, her prayer is finished, it will be complete, providing Sephiroth plays in to her hands, providing that he takes opportunity to destroy Cloud emotionally. Once again, she wishes it did not have to be this way, but she would make it up to him. She knew she would. From nowhere she hears in unison their friends yelling "CLOUD!!!"  
  
Her eyes open as she looks up to Cloud, Cloud had almost killed her, she knew, but didn't care, her smile grew wider as she knew her time was now. Cloud looked up in horror as the blade of his Masamune is run through her midsection, her smile remains, she knows now, she has saved the planet, she has deceived Sephiroth in to undoing his own plans by killing her, treating her self as a pawn baiting for the queen in a game of chess.  
  
She falls in to Cloud's arms the smile still on her face, knowing her mission was accomplished, she closes her eyes and gently returned to the planet, taking with her, the hopes and wishes of all of the planet, taking them to the planet.  
  
:: To Be Continued ::  
  
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PSAN (Post Script Author's Note for anyone who does not understand my made up Acronyms) : This is all of what you already know, from a different perspective, your curiosities will be gratified, if they exist, please take this time to read and review my fic, hope you enjoyed it, more to come soon, I promise. And if you liked this, you will like what happens later as well. Thanks for reading. Stan 


	2. Chapter 1: Awakening

A Return from the Planet: Chapter One: Awakening  
  
After being cast in to the water outside the crystal city, taking her prayer to the planet, and helping Cloud in his final battle with Sephiroth. Aerith decided that it was time to return, to dry the tears of those she had hurt by leaving. It sounded pretty easy, just return to her body under the pond, right? It seemed simple, but was it? She would first have to convince the planet to let her return, then she would have to gather the energy to heal her body before returning to it. And finally, after she returned to her body, she would have to escape the icy depths of the pond outside the crystal city.  
  
Her spirit had tended to the flowers at the church and outside her mother's home from time to time, but that was different, she needed her body to return permanently. Otherwise, it would have been much easier, convincing the planet was a snap, she merely pleaded to the planet to let her live, since her death was taken on willingly by her, almost manipulated by her in fact, and it was done to save the planet from total annihilation, the planet readily agreed.  
  
Her spirit searched the waters where Cloud had released her body for hours, thinking to her self " of all places, a burial at sea. " She did not realize that it was much easier than digging her self up, which would have really messed with mourners, since after the incident at the crater, Cloud's New Avalanche went public with her sacrifice.  
  
Her body found, she summoned energy from the planet to heal her body, as her body healed, she noticed a glowing stone laying near her body, a second glance helped her realize, it was the white materia. She picked it up and tied it in to her body's hair, as her body was healed from all wounds, her hands entered her body as she fused with it, swimming upwards swiftly her head blows out of the water, looking around she notices that nobody is around, great, she can surprise Cloud with her arrival, surely he will be surprised, now where is he, that is another problems she faces, but apparently he is famous, so it shouldn't be too hard.  
  
She trekked outwards towards the sleeping forest, drenched from the waters, she realizes she needs to warm up, she turns around and walks back towards the forgotten capitol, to the room that Cloud and his friends spent the night in on that fateful night, not knowing what lies in store for her as she lays down in the bed after starting a fire in the fireplace, she goes to bed, knowing it was her last night alone, tomorrow she would have her friends, or at least be closer to them. 


	3. Chapter 2: The Journey

A Return from the Planet: Chapter Two: The Journey  
  
Aerith awoke a few hours later, sitting up, forgetting what it felt like to wake up in the morning. To her, there was nothing better.  
  
She had another feeling she hadn't felt in a long time, hunger, she wanted breakfast.  
  
After she ate her breakfast, an assortment of plants found conveniently growing just outside the house she was in, she headed south again towards the sleeping forest.  
  
As she reached the forest, she was approached by a monster, it looked somewhat familiar as she reached for her staff, she noticed it wasn't there, backing off slowly, the monster closed in, a shot was fired from a gun, killing it.  
  
Looking around, she could find nobody, slowly she walked towards the forest, being ever careful of the monsters that could lie ahead, further up the path, she notices a man, clad in a red cloak.  
  
Sensing his familiarity, she ran towards him, she had wished that the first person she met up with would be cloud, but any of their friends would have done just as nicely.  
  
As she caught up with him, she realized that it was indeed Vincent, he slowly turned around, a slight grin on his face as he pointed his gun at her head, she stopped in her tracks and fell to the ground on her "posterior" (ass for those of you who don't like euphemisms).  
  
He fired a shot, taking down a huge bird behind her. He then spoke grinning again, "Sorry. I couldn't resist, being the silent one I am, it is good to see you again Aerith, I knew you would be back."  
  
Aerith looked up at him, her irritation completely surpassed by the glee of seeing her friend again, she jumped up and hugged him. "Answer me one thing Vincent"  
  
"What is that?" He responded  
  
"Why did you wait here for me?" She inquired  
  
"Well, I couldn't find Lucretia, what else was I supposed to do?" He replied grinning again. "Besides, why waste away in a city, why not go somewhere beautiful, untouched, other than the Icicle town, and the Bone Village, this place is completely untouched, and nobody walks in to the sleeping forest."  
  
" I guess you are right." She replied smiling, "Let's go find the others!"  
  
Vincent sighs as he responds "The city again? You mean, with people and such?"  
  
"Yeah, isn't that where they are?" She responds  
  
"I guess, ok, fine, let's go." He states.  
  
As they walk south towards the Bone Village, nothing too eventful happens, a couple of monsters, and a lot of catching up.  
  
"Where do we go now? Is there transportation off the Island?" Aerith inquires.  
  
"Cid makes frequent visits to the Bone Village, he thinks this is a good place to relieve stress and find things to add to his collection" Vincent responded  
  
"Collection?" Aerith asks.  
  
"Yes, since Meteor, he has collected relics of the past, from the ancients and whatnot. HE is the one that has your Princess Staff." Vincent Explains. "I am supposed to meet him here soon, but knowing him, he will be late"  
  
"I see." She states.  
  
As they sit and wait for their friend, Aerith dreams of what she will say to Cloud when she sees him, what she will say to everyone. As the hope for a good life is finally in front of he, she lays back and relaxes under the sun on the beach, waiting for her friend, she falls asleep, warmed by the sun, content with the knowledge that she is finally going to be happy.  
  
Sorry it took me so long to update, I have been busy with school the past few weeks and have been unable to write anything fun. I hope this was worth the wait, please R&R, more to come I promise 


	4. Chapter 3: The Search

A Return from the Planet: Chapter 3: The Search  
  
After a few hours of waiting, Vincent and Aerith decided that Cid would not be there that day, maybe it would be the next day. Vincent often lost track of time, maybe he was a day early, or worse. a day late. Either way there was a problem, Cid was not there  
  
They decided to go back to the Bone Village and see if anyone there had means of transportation. Hell, they had to get there somehow.  
  
After asking around a bit, they were unable to find anyone with knowledge of a way off, other than wait 6 months for the ferry, which made biannual trips to bring excavators to the site, and back to their homes.  
  
Deciding that 6 months is way too long to wait, it was apparent that they needed to find another way off, other than by conventional means, they could build a boat, but that would take too long, they could wait for Cid, but there was no guarantee when or where he would show up.  
  
It then dawned on them, simultaneously, as if their minds worked as one. The Chocobo Sage, talk to him.  
  
Aerith then thought, "But doesn't he only have a mountain Chocobo."  
  
Vincent shakes his head "Wait a sec! How do you know about him, you were."  
  
Aerith responded "But I watched over all of you, I know about all of it, the races, I even know about the Gold Chocobo that Cloud gave the Chocobo Sage."  
  
Vincent: .  
  
He sat stunned as to how she knew this, but then shook it off after realizing what she had said.  
  
At that point the only question between them was how to get to the Sage's house, surely that was the surest and most efficient way of getting off the continent, of course he would remember Vincent, and lend him the Chocobo.  
  
Wandering towards the Chocobo Sage's house, another thought occurred to them. How were they supposed to get up that steep mountain? Their problem was no sooner worried about than solved, as the thought came to their mind, they saw a green chocobo run by.  
  
With a quick thought Vincent chucked a handful of greens in the direction of the chocobo, it stopped and turned around, munching on the greens, two rabbit like creatures approached them, quickly each of them were set ablaze, and the chocobo was none the wiser, Aerith and Vincent hopped on it's back, and rode it to the Chocobo Sage's house in the mountains. Once at the Sage's house, they dismounted, surprisingly the Chocobo stayed there. Well, now they knew the origin of the green chocobo, the sage must have only had room for one, so he let this one go.  
  
They entered the sage's house, walked up the stairs and to the sage.  
  
"Sir, excuse me, sir!" Vincent called to him  
  
The sage shook his head. "Huh! What?! Oh. It's only you two. for a minute there I thought someone was after my new chocobo."  
  
"Well actually sir." Aerith responded with a slight smile "We do wish to borrow him, we want to go to the main continent."  
  
She was cut off "NOT MY CHOCOBO!!!!"  
  
"Sir sir sir, calm down, we will bring him back, we just need to get to the main continent so we can see our friends" Vincent stated trying to calm him.  
  
"Oh. OH!! I remember you now, you are now." The sage stated. " Your friend gave me this one." Pointing to the gold chocobo. " I will tell you what, if you find my green chocobo, I will let you have this gold one back."  
  
Vincent smiled "Thank you, we will go look for her"  
  
They exit the house, the chocobo is still standing there. Vincent throws it some more greens, it bends down to eat them and he picks them back up, leading the bird in to the house.  
  
"What is that thing?!" The sage yells  
  
"This is your old chocobo sir" Vincent said.  
  
"Oh. oh yeah, now I remember, then that spiky headed guy gave me this gold one."  
  
"Yes" Responded Vincent " You said you would lend him to us if we brought her back."  
  
"Oh, I did, well, ok, if I did then I did" The Sage claimed "go ahead take her, but make sure you bring her back here, and only feed him these" He stated pulling out a hand full of greens "These are specially for him, no other bird can have this, understand?"  
  
The two nod simultaneously while placing the green bird back in the stable, walking the gold one out.  
  
They hop on the enormous bird and ride towards the shore, riding across the ocean, they enjoy the scenery, it is amazingly beautiful in the ocean. Enjoying the scenery, Aerith can't stop thinking about what lies ahead of her, her next destination, Rocket town, and then on to Nibelheim, where her love, cloud is. 


End file.
